Monthly Archives: October 2009

True confessions: I’ve never been all that fond of “A Christmas Carol.” However, I grew up in America, so I’ve probably seen the play or some iteration of it practically on a yearly basis since I was little. This year, I saw possibly the most unusual iteration of it yet – the train tour sponsored by Disney to promote their upcoming feature film. First stop: Los Angeles…in May. (Yes, I’m a bit behind on my blog entries.)

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Click here for the full slideshow.

I was deep asleep at 6:30 am on Sunday morning when the sound of trumpets squeezed through my window. It was a full ensemble of mariachis playing “Las Mananitas,” the traditional Mexican birthday song to fete a neighbor who just turned 15. What a trip!

A note on Las Mananitas: Contrary to popular belief, the Mexican birthday song is not the American one substituting “Feliz cumpleanos” for “Happy birthday.” I haven’t verified this, but I would argue it is the longest, most complicated birthday song in the world. It took me months to fully master and memorize. Here are the lyrics in English:

This is the morning song that King David sang
Because today is your saint’s day we’re singing it for you
Wake up, my dear, wake up, look it is already dawn
The birds are already singing and the moon has set

How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you
We all came with joy and pleasure to congratulate you
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light
Get up in the morning, look it is already dawn